We're picking up our new 8 week old bucks next week and would just like to check if what we plan to feed them is OK please.

I've done some research and plan on giving them a mix of: Rat rations 11, Harrison's banana brunch rabbit food, mixed cereal and Mr Johnson's rat and mouse food. Also some shrimps for protein for the first few weeks. Does that sound OK?

Do you think any vitamins or supplements will be needed as well or does the mix take care of that?

I agree with cub - the two commercial mixes will already have added extras in them, but the rat rations element means your rats will still need some supplements. I would say they're only needed once or twice a week though.

And just answering a question from your PM in case it's of help to other people too:

Bob34 wrote:

...we give 20g of mix each and we've got some shrimps for protein. Is that every day for shrimp and how many grams of shrimp do you add to the 20g? Or do you substitute the weight?

Regarding quantity, I think 20g is actually on the high side - however, I'm not familiar with the Mr. Johnson's mix, and if that has a different weight:nutrition ratio, then it might mean you need to feed more of that than you would of the rat rations mix. What proportion are they getting of each mix? I generally feed about 15g per rat, whatever their age, because although yours are still babies and they will need a bit more food relative to their size, they are also still much smaller than an adult.

For the shrimp, it's so lightweight that it won't really affect the overall portion, so if you're feeding it separately then add it, or if you're mixing it in then include it, don't worry about it being spot on.

Until your boys reach about 10 - 12 weeks of age, then they will also benefit from two or three fresh meals per week on top of their basic dry mix, made up of protein and carbs to fuel their growth, as well of course their normal veggies most days. When to stop these meals will depend on how the boys are developing - if they came from a pet shop then they are likely to need them for longer, but if they came from a breeder then the breeder will be able to tell you what works best for their line.

And just answering a question from your PM in case it's of help to other people too:

Bob34 wrote:

...we give 20g of mix each and we've got some shrimps for protein. Is that every day for shrimp and how many grams of shrimp do you add to the 20g? Or do you substitute the weight?

Regarding quantity, I think 20g is actually on the high side - however, I'm not familiar with the Mr. Johnson's mix, and if that has a different weight:nutrition ratio, then it might mean you need to feed more of that than you would of the rat rations mix.

I would expect that you need to feed slightly more of the Mr Johnson's, yeah. First of all RR mixes are more nutrient dense than many commercial mixes, and then on top of that the Mr Johnsons isn't great quality. I bought a sack of it once to use as a base for my mix and both me and the other person who used my mix went through the batch much quicker than usual i.e. more food was needed to keep condition. It was also incredibly dusty; I didn't buy it again.

I think 5g of shrimps might be quite a lot - a teaspoon each per day would be sufficient, and I doubt that would weigh much more than 1g.

Fresh meals would be some protein but not necessarily meat, I'd say fish, chicken, or egg is a healthier option, and pasta is one choice of carbs, but rice, potato, or couscous would all make nice alternatives. I give those as extra to the standard dry mix, but not every day - it depends on how fast your boys are growing at the moment.

Generally, boys have a huge growth spurt between 5 - 7 weeks, and need lots of food to fuel it, but some lines might have earlier or later spurts, so it's hard to say exactly. One good measure is to check their tails, a slight square edge at the base of the tail indicates that they are in a growth phase and getting enough, but if the tail feels square further down then they need more. A plump rounded tail all along means they are doing fine. You don't want to let them put on too much weight, but it's a fine balance to strike!

Resting on laps is likely to be fairly low down on the list of fun things to do for youngsters - there'll be plenty of time for cuddles as they get older.

I feel like I'm a lot more clued up now so hopefully they'll appreciate the fresh meals and vitamins

They definitely prefer to be running around than sitting on my lap but at the minute they generally run back to the carry box after a few minutes exploring and go to sleep again. Late at night they seem much more awake i just hope they enjoy being awake during the day as well as they grow up.

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